Reasons to book a family catered ski chalet, with TG Ski

Will your family love a catered ski chalet?

Taking kids skiing can be especially daunting, so knowing that you are all being looked after by someone with greater knowledge and well established and reliable contacts can truly make your break. TG Ski invited Penny to try a weekend in a catered chalet and to talk to one of the founders George about their family offer. Here is her introduction to what you can expect from a TG Ski catered ski chalet.

TG Ski was formed by two friends Tom and George in 2004, from one chalet which they ran themselves and a landrover funded by the Prince’s Trust. They now have 10 luxury chalets, excellent local contacts and as George explained to us, having his own children has ensured the TG Ski family offer is strong.

What is a catered ski chalet?

If you haven’t stayed in a catered ski chalet before, it’s a bit like a very small boutique hotel or B&B in that chalets can be hired to groups of family or friends or shared between smaller individual groups who don’t know each other. The hosting, something TG Ski really pride themselves on, is what makes for a very special experience and really sets a magical tone for your holiday as the staff are there to make sure you truly have the best time possible.

What makes TG Ski hosts special?

They are professional yet down to earth and friendly, epitomised in their uniform of white shirts, grey aprons, black trousers and converse. They have great local knowledge and they think ahead in terms of you and your party’s needs. They make you feel at home, looked after, welcomed and really help you to relax into your ski holiday.

Skiing gives you an insatiable appetite, so being fed by a chef who has worked in Michelin starred restaurants is also a massive plus, as is having your own driver, barman and hosts who are full of smiles.

Your hosts bring you tea or coffee in bed, or to your door if you prefer. How often does that happen as a parent?

Making a family ski holiday hassle free

Passes, lessons and gear organised for you and fitted at the chalet. No need to worry about food, or tidying up, and someone on call to whisk everyone back to a super cosy chalet if the kids hit their limit. Staff that think ahead and gently help you plan your day. All you need to do is focus on having fun and unwinding.

The doorstep ski company can come to your chalet to fit all your ski gear in the chalet’s spacious downstairs boot rooms. A wonderfully hassle-free alternative to making a trip to the ski hire shop.

How about a driver to help load all your gear into the minibus, make sure no one forgets anything crucial and to take you right to the bottom of the slope?

TG Ski can book your ski passes and lessons so all you have to do is turn up. They can also book lessons, Sally from the Snow Institute taught us and also teaches the TG Ski director’s children to ski.

After skiing your driver can whisk you and the kids home to the chalet, where afternoon tea will be waiting.

Relaxing in a Catered Ski Chalet

Make the most of the hot tub on the balcony. Watch the Alps come in and out of view through the snow and the bubbles and let the heat soothe away any aching muscles.

Enjoy lazing on the cosy sofas in front of the log burner or retreat to your freshly made room and sink into crisp white linens.

7 pm is the eagerly awaited cocktail o’ clock. I sampled ‘Swiss Walls’ a punchy sweet and sour wake up call with floral undertones that honours Europe’s most challenging ski run, from France into Switzerland. Mojitos followed the next evening.

What meals with I get in a catered Ski Chalet?

For breakfast, our chef provided a cooked option, for example, poached eggs, hollandaise and asparagus. There was also big and little kid friendly French toast or pancakes with Nutella, the most beautifully organised platter of fruit and yogurts.

We returned to the chalet after skiing to find afternoon tea laid out. Chocolate brownies dusted with gold flecks and raspberries with a devilish crunch and melt in the mouth texture. A gloriously crunchy baguette, meats and spreads. Perfect after the adrenalin rush of a first ski lesson.

Before dinner we ate canapés. Tiny cheese scones with goats cheese, pears, pea and mint for the vegetarians. Miniature Yorkshire puddings with beef and horseradish sauce for the meat eaters. Your host brings out the champagne and invites you to sit down for dinner.

What about the kids in a catered ski chalet?

The benefits of a ski chalet are that grown-ups can socialise and enjoy dinner without needing a babysitter, although TG Ski can organise a babysitter if parents want a night out, or an in-chalet nanny or local creche during the daytimes.

Younger children, exhausted from skiing can be tucked up in bed down the corridor, or chill out in their room with books, or play on the chalet’s game console.

The staff can do earlier 6 pm tea for kids and even get them involved in making their own pizzas, or staff can prepare baby foods. Older children can join the three-course meal.

What’s the atmosphere like?

Dinner is a wonderful ritual, a three-course meal without the formality of a restaurant. Under the table, you can be wearing your slippers.

The chalet was gorgeous and cosy and the decor instantly helped us to wind down and feel at home. It was such a cocoon with stunning alpine views from the wrap around balcony.

The soft beds in the chalet’s beautiful rustic but modern en-suite bedrooms, fluffy towels, robes and white company toiletries.

Need to Know

TG Ski have 6 chalets in Morzine and 4 in Meribel. Penny stayed in the stunning Chalet Les Pierrys, a 12 person chalet in Morzine. She flew to Geneva with Easyjet. TG Ski have a full concierge service and can organise your airport transfers, ski hire, passes and lessons as well as recommending places to go, driving you around the resort and organising childcare and/or babysitting using registered external agencies. Chalets have cots, highchairs, bottle sterilisers and drivers have a range of booster seats for transporting children.

For more information on Skiing with TG Ski as a family, do check out their family care page.

Ski lessons were with Sally from the Ski Institute, organised via TG Ski.

Get more ideas for family ski trips below, or check out some different holiday tips here.

18 Comments

This sounds the absolute perfect way to try your hand at skiing – something I’ve always fancied doing with my daughter but I am pretty much a novice, so love the idea of having a group and experts on hand (plus that food. Although honestly, you had me at coffee in bed!) Very tempting…

I think having everything come to you makes such a difference when you have children. Getting ski hire and lessons sorted can be stressful, so I think this is a brilliant way to smooth all of that over. I’d definitely consider TG Ski chalets now I’ve heard Penny’s experience. (Helen).

I love the sound of catered ski chalets – you get the best of both worlds: a space of your own with amazing food prepared for you like a hotel. It’s definitely how I’d like to experience a ski holiday with kids.

I’ve never gone down the catered chalet route when skiing, but it looks and sounds awesome. A real luxury experience! I like the fact that the owners are very hands-on, and make sure the holiday is tailored to the needs of their guests.

Wow – a chef who has worked in Michelin starred restaurants – rather a step up from the type of chalets I used to cook in! I think catered chalets are a great concept, so much more convivial than a large hotel. #familytraveltips

Oh my goodness yes! You’ve absolutely persuaded me. We’ve had chefs come in to cook for us a couple of times, both at home and on holiday and it is so much nicer than being in a restaurant, especially when there’s a big group of you. All the other benefits like the hot tub, driver etc. would definitely convince me! Thanks for linking up with #familytraveltips.
Nat.x